Flow valve for fluid lift pumps



Jan. 6, 1953 w. L.. CHURCH 2,624,362

FLow VALVE FOR FLUID LIFT PUMPS Filed March 12, 1949 F7616 By ,L"INVENTOR.

ATRY

Patented Jan. 6, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOW VALVE Fom LIFTPUMPS l Walter L. Church, Houston, Tex.

Application March 12, 1949, Serial No. 81,143

4 claims. (ci. 137-455) This invention relates to a iiow valve for ailuid lift pump.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve assembly having atubular body, or casing, which may be connected into a iiow line andwhich is normally open and which is so constructed that it will beclosed by an increase of external pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a valve assembly havinginlet passageways with a movable seat subject to iiuid pressure andwhich will control the flow of iiuid through said passageways inaccordance with variations in pressure against the seat.

The valve assembly has been especially designed for incorporation into aiiow line in a well. In a practical application of the valve assembly anumber of said assemblies will be incorporated into the ow line beneaththe level of the liquid in the well casing and will be spaced a selecteddistance apart vertically so that as the pressure of the liquid in thewell varies the valve assemblies will open and close to admit liquidfrom the well into the flow line in accordancewith variations inpressure applied against the surface of the liquid in the well casing.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingspecification which is illustrated by the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view of a well casing in a well, shown partlyin section and showing the iiow line therein.

Figure 2 is an elevational View, partly in section. of one type of theassembly.

Figure 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation thereof. l y

Figure 5 is an elevational View, partly in section of another embodimentof the assembly and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view of the embodimentshown in Figure 5.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings the numeral I designatesa conventional well casing having the well head 2 fixed thereon andprovided with an inlet pressure line 3.

Within the well casing there is a flow line 4 whose lower end extendsdown into the well and is submerged in the liquid in the well casing.

Incorporated into the lower end of the iiow line there are a pluralityof flow valve assemblies indicated generally by the numeral 5. Theseassemblies are spaced apart a selected distance, usually about fivehundred feet apart although they may be spaced further apart or closertogether as the circumstances may require.

Each assembly includes a tubular valve casing 6 forming a couplingmember to couple the adjacent sections of the iiow line. At one side thevalve casing has an external recess 'I preferably circular in shape andleading inwardly from the recess through the wall of the casing 6 thereare the spaced inlet ports 8, four of said inlet ports being shown.

Fitted in the recess 1 there is a valve disc 9 provided with an insideannular groove I0.

In this groove I0 and fitted against the bottom of the recess 'I thereis a yieldable member, pref-y erably a coil spring II.

The disc 9 has a central inlet opening I2 and the inner side of the discis counter-sunk around the opening thus forming an inside valve seat.

Between said seat and the bottom of the recess 1 there is a ball valveI3 which is located between the openings 8.

The disc 9 is retained against detachment in any preferred manner. Asshown there are the oppositely disposed screws I4 which are screwed intothe casing 6 and whose heads overlap the disc 9 as more clearly shown inFigures 3 and 4.

The spring II normally holds the seat disc 9 outwardly thus maintainingthe seat open but external pressure in the well casing, which mayovercome the pressure of the spring I I, may force the disc inwardly sothat the seat will come into close contact with the valve I3 and closethe inlet opening I2.

The valve seat disc 9 also has an external, annular groove I5therearound to receive a ring I6 to prevent leakage past said disc.

In the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 the valve casing 6 has the inletports 8a similar, in purpose, to the ports 8 and between said ports 8athere is xed to the casing a valve I 3a having an outer oval head.

In this embodiment the casing 6 also has the countersunk recess 'I andspanning this recess there is a circular diaphragm 9a whose margins arecountersunk into, and secured to, the valve casing around said recess.

The diaphragm 9a is preferably corrugated circularly so as to give thediaphragm the required exibility.

This diaphragm has a central valve seat with an inlet opening I2atherethrough opposite the valve I3a and normally spaced outwardly fromthe valve so as to remain open.

In case of excessive outside pressure the diaphragm 9a will be forcedinwardly by the pressure, moving the seat against the valve and closingthe opening I2a.

In both forms of the valve assembly, if the outside pressure is equal toor less than the pressure within the line the valves will remain open.But in case the pressure outside of the disc 9 or the diaphragm 9a isgreater than the pressure within the line the corresponding valve willbe closed by said outside pressure.

As shown each form of the valve assembly is equipped with only one valvebut, as is obvious, each assembly may have two or more valvesincorporated into the casing similar to those shown.

As hereinabove stated the valve assemblies will be incorporated into theow line as shown in Figure 1 all beneath the level of the liquidstanding in the well casing l.

Fluid pressure is then applied through the pressure line 3 into the wellcasing against the upper surface of the liquid of the well andthe liquidin the well casing will be forced in through the passageways I2, 8 or I2a, 8a into the flow line so as to force the liquid in the flow lineupwardly and thel flow will continue until the pressure of the liquidabout the upper valve assembly is greater than the pressure in the flowline whereupon the disc 9, `or diaphragm Sa, will be forced inwardly toclose the valve and the fluid in the well casing, under the influence ofthe pressure against the liquid, will flow through the next succeedingvalve assembly beneath, thus forcing the liquid on upwardly until saidlast mentioned Valve assembly is closed, as hereinabove stated, andthereafter liquid will be forced inwardly through the next succeedingvalve assembly beneath; however, the pressures Within the flow line andwithin the casing outside the ilow line vary depending upon conditionsin the well. For example, the liquid level in the well casing may beforced downwardly beneath a valve assembly and the gas used as anoperating iluid may flow in through said valve assembly and eject aquantity of liquid from the flow line above or break through the liquidin the ilow line above, thus allowing the liquid above in the flow lineto fall :back down and temporarily increase the pressure of the liquidin the flow line.

In other words, the pressure of the liquid in the ow line within a valveassembly and the pressure of the liquid in the valve casing outside of avalve assembly may vary. So a number of valve assemblies should bedistributed along the flow line beneath the normal level of the liquidin the well casing to the end that if one valve assembly is closedanother assembly may be open to permit the pressure of the operatingiluid to be at all times effective in forcing liquid from the wellcasing through -one or the other of the valve assemblies to permit aconstant upward ow of liquid through the ow line. to be discharged atthe ground surface through ordinary ow equipment of any selectedconstruction.

What I claim is:

1. A ow valve assembly comprising, a tubular valve casingv having a sideinlet port, a movable valve seat carrier on the casing and. sealedtherewith and having an opening therethrough providing a valve seat andthrough which outside fluid may be admitted to said port and an inwardlyopening recess surrounding said seat, a

valve loosely mounted on the carrier and guidingly engageable with thecarrier within said recess, abutment means on the casing engageafble bythe valve to limit inward movement of the valve to cause the seat tosealingly engage the valve to close the valve seat opening and excludesaid fluid upon inward movement of the carrier, and means normallyholding the carrier in its outer position to maintain the seat open.

2. A ovv valve assembly comprising, a tubular valve casing having a sideinlet port, a yieldably mounted movable valve seat carrier on the casingand sealed therewith and having an opening providing a valve seatthrough which outside fluid may bev admitted to said port and aninwardly opening recess surrounding said opening, and a valve looselymounted on said carrier and in guiding engagement with the recessedportion of the carrier, abutment means on the casing engageable by thevalve to limit inward movement of the valve to cause the seat tosealingly engage the valve to close the seat opening and exclude saidiluid upon inward movement of the carrier.l

3. A now valve assembly comprising, a tubular valve casing having a sideinlet port and an external recess around the port, a movable valve seatcarrier spanning said recess and in sealed relation with the casing,said carrier having an opening through which outside iluid may 'beadmitted to said port and an internal recess about the opening, and avalve loosely mounted in the internal recess enclosed by said carrierand in guiding engagement with the carrier within said internal recess,abutment means on the casing engageableby the valve tolimit inward movewment of the valve to cause the carrier to sealingly engage the valveabout said opening to close said opening and exclude said fluid uponinward movement of the carrier.

4. A flow valve assembly comprising, a tubular valve casing having aside inlet iport and having an external recess around said port, amovable valve seat carrier on the casing enclosing said recess andhaving an inlet opening and an internal recess surrounding said opening,a valve loosely mounted in the internal recess and enclosed by saidcarrier and in guiding engagement with the carrier within said internalrecess, abutment means on the casing engageable by the valve to limitinward movement lof the valve to cause the carrier to sealingly engagethe valve about said opening to close said opening and exclude said uidupon inward movement of the carrier.

WALTER. L. CHURCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,501 Phillippi Nov. 22, 18921,038,527 Coleman Sept. 17, 1912 1,147,099 Keitel July 20, 19151,203,551 Mll'itz Oct, 31, 1916 1,767,201 Boynton June 24, 19302,307,016 Boynton Jan. 5, 1943

